Ripkin
A masculine name of English origin meaning "ridge by the stream".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ripkin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ripkin today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ripkin births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ripkin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ripkin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,903
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Ripkin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ripkin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ripkin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ripkin
The name Ripkin is believed to have originated from the Old English language, which was spoken by the Anglo-Saxons in England and parts of Scotland from the 5th to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "risc," meaning "rush" or "reed," and "kin," which means "family" or "kin." Thus, the name Ripkin may have initially referred to someone who lived near a reed bed or was associated with rushes in some way.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, the name Ripkin appeared in several historical records and manuscripts. One of the earliest documented mentions can be found in the Domesday Book, a highly influential survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Rickin" in this record, which suggests a possible connection to the name's origins.
In the 12th century, a notable figure with the name Ripkin was Ripkin de Braybrook, a nobleman and landowner from Northamptonshire, England. He is mentioned in various charters and legal documents from the time, primarily in relation to land disputes and property transactions.
Another historical figure with this name was Ripkin of Norwich, a 13th-century Christian scholar and theologian. He is known for his work "Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers," a compilation of philosophical teachings from various sources, which was widely circulated in medieval Europe.
In the 14th century, there was a Ripkin Tanner, a prominent figure in the tanning industry in the city of York, England. Records from the time suggest that he was a successful businessman and a respected member of the local community.
Moving forward to the 16th century, one notable individual was Ripkin Hawthorne, a poet and playwright from Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Although not as famous as his contemporary William Shakespeare, Hawthorne's works were well-received during his lifetime and contributed to the literary culture of the Elizabethan era.
Throughout history, the name Ripkin has been relatively uncommon, but its usage has persisted across various regions and cultures, particularly in England and other parts of the British Isles. While it may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, the name's roots can be traced back to the Old English language and the Anglo-Saxon period.
People
Ripkin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ripkin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ripkin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ripkin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ripkin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ripkin a common name?
We classify Ripkin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ripkin most popular?
The single biggest year for Ripkin was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ripkin is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ripkin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ripkin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ripkin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ripkin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ripkin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ripkin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Ripkin?
Want to know how many Americans are named Ripkin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.